World Academy
by JustAnotherSleepyhead
Summary: Melodia, a young adult thrown into an extremely multi-cultural university, is forced to adapt to a strange way of life around friends who never seem to slow down. But when she is crushed by someone back home, who would be there to help her through her dark time?
1. Beginnings

Melodia, pulling up to the dorm parking lot with a full car, let out a small sigh. She parked in silence and grabbed her purse before opening the door and grabbing a suitcase. From her purse Melodia pulled out a small slip of paper that had a roughly sketched map on it in blue ink. _Where the hell is this entrance?_ Melodia let out a short sigh in frustration as she pulled her suitcase behind her.

The university was relatively small, it had a normal college football field, conjoined with two tennis courts that were in immaculate condition. A smaller building was jutting from the side of the main building and Melodia could barely make out the words of "Engineering Pod". The parking lot was sparse and someone dressed in black overalls wandered outside. Melodia blew hair out of her face and trudged up a steep hill to enter the university from the back.

She swiped the keycard she got in the mail a week ago against the black box on the door and the light turned from red to green. A clicking sound was heard and she pulled open the door, hauled her suitcase in and let the door shut as she walked down the hall, double doors clicking locked once more.

Melodia was a beautiful girl with long blonde hair and green eyes. Her build was sturdy and her face slim. Melodia was very strong, everyone who has taken her on has feared for the time they would cross with her again. She fought with a staff, when the situation arose. Melodia stood at half over five feet tall and she was all torso. Her looks, actually, match her personality. She is Danish, therefore a party animal and very energetic. She corrects everyone, no matter who you are, if you are wrong or are lying, they will be corrected by Melodia. She is also kinetic learner, therefore she has brought along a bunch of different gadgets and thingamabobs that she's constructed on the spot to further understand something.

After walking down the long hallway in front of her, she took a left, following the small map on the scrap of paper. "Hello!"

Melodia looked up upon hearing the call in English. A short blond man was walking up with a small smile on his face. He was clad in a suit, unusual for a young man attending a university, and wore a 'Hello, my name is...' name tag on his left side.

"Are you Melodia?"

He was also carrying a clipboard, with documents on who Melodia was, she assumed silently. His accent was heavily British.

"Yes, I am Melodia. Who are you?" she said with shaky English.

"My name is Arthur Kirkland, and I'm head of this dorm. Were you heading to the office?"

Melodia looked down to the small piece of paper in her hand and nodded, looking up to Arthur again.

"Great! Well, I didn't have anything better to do so I was heading to the back entrance, where I assume you entered," Arthur's smile grew slightly and Melodia broke out into a grin.

"So, I can begin with the tour, if you'd like," Arthur continued, offering his hand to Melodia's suitcase, to which she shook her head, indicating that she could take it herself.

"Very well; we'll head to the dorms first and get you some help with unloading and decorating your things. It says here that you are going to be bunking with…" Arthur trailed off, his smile leaving his face as he read from the clipboard and an expression of anxiety replacing it.

Melodia, in response, frowned and leaned to see what the matter was.

"What is wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. You'll be bunking with Gilbert Beilschmidt," Arthur still had disgust written on his face and his large eyebrows creased, but Melodia shrugged it off. Arthur then led her down the hall she came but took a right out another set of doors, which opened into a large, ballroom-like space. Their footsteps and the rolling of Melodia's suitcase echoed around the room and Melodia looked around, awestruck.

"It certainly is something, isn't it? This is the North Atlantic dorm, this is where my room is! I bunk with a Frenchman and an American, right there, actually." Arthur pointed to one of the various single doors that apparently led to the actual rooms in the dorm.

Melodia kept her smile as Arthur came upon a cedar wood door with a platinum door handle and rapped on it three times. The television was blasting some soap opera but was suddenly silent as a voice from within grumbled rather audibly and unlocked the door with a click and a chang of metal on metal. A tall albino was the one who answered, clad in merely boxers, Melodia noted he was very lean.

"Gilbert! For the love of Queen Elizabeth put clothes on!" Arthur cried, moving to shield Melodia's eyes.

Melodia merely laughed, sticking out her hand and mimicking the American way to greet someone as she had learned in school. Gilbert chuckled, running a hand through his unkempt hair before shaking Melodia's hand.

"Evening, frauline," he said and moved aside. "I can take it from here, Arthur," Gilbert quickly shoved Melodia inside the room before slamming the door directly in Arthur's face.

"Why does you do that?" Melodia said, accent thick and English very uncertain.

Gilbert grinned and said, "Because I can take you on the tour of the dorms and whatnot,"

Melodia nodded hesitantly.

"You can have either one of the rooms on the right side of that hall," Gilbert pointed down a narrow hallway between the 'living' space and the kitchen, "because I've already claimed the one on the left. We have an extra room so don't worry about that,"

Melodia began pulling her suitcase down the hallway and picked the door farthest down, closest to the bathroom. Peeking in her room, she saw it was simply decorated. Her queen bed wore only white sheets and topsheets with two pillows. Melodia scanned the rest of the room, seeing a small nightstand on the left side of the bed, a clock right above a white corner desk and a large corkboard next to that. Melodia entered the room, setting her suitcase on the desk and unzipping it. She walked over to her closet, opening it and seeing drawers on the floor for shoes, she assumed, and a few wire hangers left from the previous owner. Melodia shut her closet doors and turned to her left. There sat the grandest couch she has ever seen, red microfiber and it had an extended part for the legs to recline.

Melodia began unpacking her suitcase when a rapping on the door echoed throughout the empty walls.

"Come, in," Melodia said and she smiled when Gilbert appeared with the rest of her bags and décor.

"Arthur told me which car was yours and I wanted to help you out,"

"Thank you very much," Melodia said as she took the heaping pile of stuff from the albino.

"I'll leave you be now, call me if you need me!" Gilbert shut the door respectfully and Melodia set the stuff on her desk after moving her suitcase to the bed.

Melodia swiftly placed her lava lamp, alarm clock and table lamp onto the nightstand, and, after some unpacking she unloaded her blankets onto the bed and made it quickly. Her own clock replaced the one above the desk and she placed a picture of her boyfriend back at home on the corkboard. Melodia hung all her clothes onto her white, plastic hangers and placed her shoes into the drawers at the floor of her closet. Her throw blanket and set of pillows made their way onto the couch and her _Lego Movie_ poster on the back of her door. Exhausted, she fell onto her bed.


	2. Parties

"Melodia Rosa Henrikson, please stand and introduce yourself," Sir Cadderly said with a grin as Melodia stood, bowed and replied with, "As you heard, my name is Melodia and I am from Greenland, it is a pleasure to meet all of you," she sat again in her stool and the chime sounded, signaling the end of the day.

"Thank you, Melodia, I hope you find this class amusing," Sir Cadderly said, sitting at his own mahogany desk and putting his feet up with a loud thump.

Melodia packed her things, stuck her pencil in her ponytail and moved to leave the room.

"Hey girlie!" Melodia turned around to the loud, accented voice and saw a tall, young male walking briskly toward her with his stuff falling out of his backpack.

"Damn it, Alfred, pick up your stuff!" Sir Cadderly yelled at the boy and he turned, cowering, to pick up his papers.

Melodia began walking out of the class only to be held back by the arm.

"Wait!"

She turned to see the young man again, his backpack zipped and a smile on his face.

"I'm Alfred," He handed Melodia a piece of paper smudged with red ink.

"I'm having a party at my dorm tonight and I think it would be awesome if you came!" Alfred's smile grew wider.

"I will try. Lots of classes work," Melodia said in shaky English and Alfred's head cocked to the side suddenly.

"Do you not know English well? I can help you! My home country is America and we're the best English speaking country ever!" He shouted, letting go of Melodia's arm and pumping his fist in the air.

Melodia shook her head in answer to his question and Alfred laughed lightly.

"Well, if you come tonight we can set up times where I can tutor you," Alfred's smile turned into a grin as he clubbed Melodia in the back with his hand and brushed past her when the next hour's tardy bell rang.

Melodia smiled at his outgoing kindness and hurried out of the room.

* * *

When the final bell rang, Melodia was in her dorm, studying the folded piece of paper. It had been folded twice, once vertically, then again horizontally. The paper was small; perhaps only two inches in length and in height. The red ink sprawled along it had the hall name and dorm room number written in small, chicken scratch lettering.

What harm could it really bring?

Melodia thought this and with a long sigh, she hauled herself from the couch in her room and put the paper in her back pocket. She grabbed her phone and keys, just in case, and walked into the hall, waving to a half-naked Gilbert in the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he poured water into the back of the coffee pot.

"I'm going to someone's room party, Alfred, I think his name is," Melodia replied, taking a detour to lean against the island and watch Gilbert work.

"Oh, awesome! I want to go too! Wait up for me," Gilbert switched the coffee pot on and scampered too his room.

Melodia laughed and took a seat on a stool, pulling out her phone. When Gilbert had reemerged, he was buttoning up his flannel and fixing his hair all at the same time. How was beyond Melodia.

"Onwards, pretty girl!" Gilbert shouted, pointing at the door with his car key. "You'll have to be my designated driver, because I'm getting wasted!"

Melodia rolled her eyes and laughed as she led the way out of the dorm.

* * *

Upon arriving, Melodia immediately lost sight of Gilbert as soon as he started talking up another girl who seemed very interested in him. She awkwardly stood by the door as she took in her surroundings; half of the people were drinking from Red SOLO cups and the other half were somewhat paying attention to the movie playing on the TV in the corner of the room.

"Melodia?" she turned to the voice coming from her left and she could barely make out Arthur's face through the dimmed lights.

"Oh, hello Arthur. I didn't see you as a party kind of person," Melodia laughed as Arthur scratched the back of his head.

"I'm really not, I'm just Alfred's roommate," Melodia let out an "Ahh," in understanding and smiled at Arthur.

"Well, it is nice to see you again,"

"Agreed! Have you settled in with Gilbert?"

"Yes, actually, we are getting along well," Melodia scanned the room for her Gilbert but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Well that's great!" Arthur smiled at her and they continued making small talk.

After a few hours, Melodia's throat hurt and her cheeks were sore from smiling. There weren't many people left, only Gilbert who was so drunk that he was trying to seduce a wine glass, and Alfred, who was sitting on his phone in a bean bag. So much for scheduling tutoring meetings.

Melodia looked up after absently staring at the television for a moment and asked, "Arthur, where is the restroom?"

"Oh, it's right down the hall and the first door on the left," Arthur said with a smile as he stood from his spot on the couch and stretched.

"Thank you!" Melodia could barely contain herself as she hurried down the hall. While she went, there was a light tapping behind her head. What in the hell? After she was done, no matter where she looked, she could not find the source of the sound.

"Arthur?" Melodia called, sticking her head into the hall and watching as Arthur made his way down the hall with a puzzled look on his face.

"What's wrong, Melodia?"

"There's this tapping noise coming from behind the toilet," Melodia trailed off, heart beating faster as frightening possibilities flew through her mind. Her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest when Arthur replied in a low voice, saying, "I think it's time for you to go home, love,"

Melodia began feeling light headed as she was ushered out lightly by Arthur.

"Thank you for accompanying me tonight, I have a wonderful time," he said as he grabbed Gilbert by the shirt collar, eliciting a grunt from the albino. Melodia's mind swirled and her face grew hot as she was pushed into the summer night.

"You must go," Arthur insisted and Melodia distractedly nodded, letting the door be shut in her face.

"What was all that about?" Gilbert slurred behind a dazed Melodia and she shook her head.

"I have no idea, Gilbert," Melodia said as she turned to face him.

"Let's just go home,"


	3. I'm Home

Many days had passed after the dorm party and Melodia was growing closer Gilbert each day.

"Thank you again for taking me out for lunch! I had a nice time," Melodia smiled as she adjusted her tank top and looked up at the tall albino.

"You're very welcome! I had a nice time too," Gilbert said, placing a large hand on top of Melodia's head. After a moment of silence and awkward laughs, Melodia tapped her foot, saying, "Well, it's Friday so I have afternoon classes…" she trailed off.

"I suppose you do, I'll let you go," Gilbert looked downcast and pulled Melodia in for a hug. "Thank you for spending the morning with me, roommate," Melodia laughed and returned the hug lightly.

"Of course,"

"Take care,"

"I'll see you in like two hours," Melodia rolled her eyes and Gilbert pouted.

"I know, but still!" she laughed and turned away.

"Bye, Gilbert,"

"Goodbye Melodia,"

Melodia arrived to her World History class clad in a pink sundress that fell just above her knee. She didn't have any jeans or shorts left that were clean, as she was going home for a visit and to do laundry right after her class.

As soon as she walked in, the male-dominated class was complimenting her, giving her high-fives on the way in. Her heart surged when she saw Arthur in middle of the room, eyes wide. Melodia smiled sheepishly and sat down, smoothing her skirt and crossing her legs.

"Boys, boys, calm yourself, it's not like you haven't seen shoulders before," Sir Cadderly rolled his eyes and strolled up to the front of the class, where he pulled the map of Europe down from the top of the board.

"Today, we're discussing Europe. Things like the French Revolution, the reign of Catherine the Great and the Enlightenment Age,"

Two hours passed and Melodia was tuckered out from the intense note-taking. She didn't want to miss a single thing that Sir Cadderly said. The bell rang overhead and desks immediately creaked and groaned under the weight of students squirming to pack their things.

"Remember, we have the unit test coming up next Monday so I'm holding a tutoring session in my apartment on Saturday," Sir Cadderly tried to speak above the bustling young adults and opened his mouth as if to say another thing, but closed it and sighed as he sat back in his chair and began furiously clicking on his computer. Melodia put her notebooks and laptop into her side bag and left.

Walking down the hall, Melodia stumbled upon Gilbert, who was talking with a couple people she recognized from the dorm party.

"Hey, Melodia!" she paused at his voice and turned to face him with a small smile on her face. The two people Gilbert was talking to, a brunette and a blond, shoved him toward Melodia with smirks on their face; then they quickly scurried away.

 _What's happening?_

"Is something wrong, Gilbert?"

"No," Gilbert said with a small smile on his face as he approached Melodia.

"I just wanted to ask you if you're doing anything this weekend," he trailed off, face turning faint shade of pink.

Something clicked in Melodia's mind and suddenly she realized what he was hinting at.

"I'm sorry, Gilbert, but I am going home for the weekend to do laundry and visit my parents," She readjusted her shoulder bag and Gilbert's face fell ever so slightly.

"Oh… alright. That's okay! I was just wondering, it doesn't really matter to me if you're gone or not," Gilbert trailed off again and Melodia frowned.

"I really am sorry, I would like to stay here but I don't have any clean clothes left to wear and I told my parents I would come to visit them once I got a free weekend,"

"It's fine, really!" Gilbert's eyes flickered around Melodia, looking everywhere but her. "I'd better catch up with them," he jutted his thumb in the direction of where the two men went and he backpedaled to follow them.

"I'll see you in the dorm, though!" Melodia called at his retreating figure and Gilbert nodded, a smile on his face.

"I know! See you then," He turned around fully and jogged after the long-gone young men and disappeared around a corner.

Melodia laughed lightly and turned the other direction, heading back to the North American hall; she wasn't looking for love. She already had a special someone back at home.

Going on her second out of three hours, Melodia began growing sleepy. _I have to stay awake, but I've been blasting music for the past 45 minutes…_ her eyes were dry with fatigue and her hands started drifting to the right. She jolted herself awake, finally getting fed up with herself and she called Arthur up via the steering wheel.

It rang twice before his thickly accented voice came over the car's speakers with a, "Hello, love," and Melodia's heart soared, all fatigue forgotten.

"Hello, Arthur, how are you?"

"I'm well, how are you?"

"I'm well," Melodia smiled broadly and Arthur laughed.

"You sound like you're driving! I hope you aren't driving distracted, young lady," Arthur's condescending voice made Melodia shake her head and laugh.

"No, silly, I have the connection from phone to car,"

"Bluetooth?"

"I believe so, I don't recall the name," Over the line, Arthur began laughing loudly.

"Yes, love, it's called Bluetooth," Melodia's gut flashed with indignation.

"Well excuse me, I'm not good at English terms!"

"I'm not upset with you, I was just teasing!"

Melodia slowed to turn a corner and as she turned, her head cocked to the side in confusion. "Teasing?"

"Making fun," Arthur clarified and Melodia nodded in understanding.

"Ahh, alright. Thank you for telling me, Arthur," Melodia could hear his smile in his reply, "Of course, love,"

Melodia smiled through a momentary, content silence as neither of them could think of what to say. After a while, Arthur finally asked, "So why are you driving? Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes, I'm going to my parent's house to do the laundry and to take a visit," she replied quietly as she turned another corner, coming up on a small neighborhood. There was a pause, then Arthur said, "Well, that's always nice," Melodia agreed, and sooner than she thought, she habitually pulled into her childhood home's driveway.

"Hey, Arthur, I apologize, but I guess I'm here now," She paused before adding, "I thought I was farther out,"

"That's alright! Have a good time,"

"Thank you for keeping me company,"

"Anytime, love. Let me know when you make it back to the academy," Melodia nodded, even though she knew Arthur couldn't see her.

"Okay, goodbye, Arthur!"

"Goodbye, Melodia. Take care," and with those parting words, Melodia hung up by pressing the end call button on her steering wheel.

The house that loomed ahead of her was the stereotypical house; picture perfect lawn, carefully cared for, white exterior and two floors with a candy red door. Melodia smiled and slung her shoulder bag over her head and exited the car, taking her keys out and putting them away.

She walked up to the door, having already made plans with her significant other to meet her. Melodia twisted the door knob and with a nostalgic squeak, the door opened wide to reveal Melodia's parents in the kitchen, eating lunch. "I'm home!"


	4. True Home

/Not my best work whatsoever, so I'm sorry. Been distracted and busy these past weeks.

"Oh sweetie, welcome home!" Melodia's mother smiled and immediately stood to greet her daughter at the door.

"Hey mom, dad," Melodia opened her arms to hug her mother and her father embraced them both.

"It's so good to have you back!"

"I've only been gone a couple weeks, mom," Melodia laughed at her mother's emotion-choked voice and rolled her eyes playfully.

"I know, but still!"

After a moment of silence, Melodia asked, cocking her head to the side, "Where is Mikael?"

Her parents looked at each other and their faces immediately fell.

"I actually have a message from him for you," her mother looked down as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper.

Melodia's heart raced and she began feeling lightheaded. "Is everything alright?"

Her parents looked at each other again and her mom forced a smile onto her face.

"Yes, of course, dearest. Here, let me take your bag," Melodia let her take it to the garage where the laundry room was and Melodia's head spun as she slowly opened the letter.

Her father followed quickly on his wife's heels and shut the garage door behind them. Melodia shakily sat down on the couch, covering her open mouth with a hand as she read the letter. Her eyes raked down the simple words several times, but each time she grew more and more confused.

 _Condom broke. I'm going to be a father. We're done._

Melodia was a virgin.

Her eyes welled with tears and her throat closed off, leaving her gasping for breath. Folding the paper along the creases again, she held her arms in her hands and began rocking, tears falling silently. They had been together for the entirety of high school, they had arguments every once and a while but they wouldn't sleep without knowing the other was happy. She saved herself for him, and when they separated ways to go to college, she was heartbroken, but they decided to make it work anyway. Melodia then thought of recently; her ex-boyfriend had been distant and unconnected, constantly making excuses about why he wasn't answering his phone. _I guess it's because he's been hooking up with someone else._

Her mother came in quietly, so quietly Melodia didn't even hear her, and she started rubbing Melodia's back.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

There was a pause and all you could hear was the creak of the hardwood as Melodia's father walked up behind his wife.

"We just found out today, we're sorry, Melodia," her father's deep voice said as he walked to the other side of his wife and sat down next to Melodia.

"It's alright, I just need to be alone," she said, sniffing loudly and making her way through the kitchen to her childhood room.

The sight she saw was nostalgic, her queen sized bed, beaten up old desk, homemade pom-pom rugs littered the floor. Melodia managed a small smile before she sat on her bed, tucking in her legs and wrapping her arms around them falling onto her side. Now is where she let out all of her betrayal and pain, she moaned as her face grew hot again and she started sobbing, burying her face into the side of her pillow.

Through her pain, she didn't hear the phone buzzing each minute.

"Sweetie? Are you hungry? I made sub sandwiches," Melodia's mother rapped on the door lightly and cracked open the door, revealing a disheveled young woman.

"I'm not hungry," Melodia took in a breath that was ragged and desperate.

"Alright, I'll leave it on your desk," Her mom set the tray down with a light tap and quietly exited the room, shutting the door silently behind her.

Melodia waited a moment before getting up from her fort of covers and making her way to the desk, gulping down the chocolate milk and turkey-cheese sandwich her mother had made.

It had been three days since she arrived at her parent's house, they had told her many times that it was alright to be upset; that they wanted to tell her while she was home so they could look out for her. Melodia hadn't picked up her phone once since she found out, she couldn't be bothered with anyone else at the moment.

Her phone buzzed continually, but Melodia merely climbed back under the cover and stared blankly at the ceiling.

 _Am I not good enough, or something?_

Two more days passed and Melodia was finally ready to pull herself out of bed and face the harsh reality of life again.

"Did you get everything packed?" her mother rested her hand on Melodia's shoulder and she nodded.

"Yes, I think so. If not, I'll come back and get it,"

"Well, goodbye, dearest, we love you so much. Thank you for coming home," her father's deep voice rung behind Melodia and she turned to face him and give him a hug.

"Thank you for letting me mope around your house all weekend," she laughed lightly and picked up her things once more.

"Drive safe!" both of her parents said in unison and they looked at each other, surprised, then they laughed.

"I will!" and with those final parting words, Melodia rolled her suitcase full of clean, folded laundry out onto the porch and to her car.

She heaved it up into the trunk and pulled the door down, satisfied with the loud shutting sound. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she walked around the left side of her car and sat in.

Melodia's mouth dropped at the endless stream of texts on her lock screen, all varying from Sir Cadderly, Arthur and Gilbert. Toward the top, they were all in caps and relentless. Her phone vibrated again, and she just unlocked the phone, staring at the red circle over the messaging app that displayed "99+".

Melodia immediately speed dialed Gilbert first, considering she called Arthur in the car beforehand. She hooked the speakers up to the Bluetooth and after only one ring, Gilbert picked up, voice thick with emotion.

"Melodia?" he croaked and Melodia nodded as she pulled out of the driveway and started down the road.

There was a pause before she nodded softly and replied, "It's me, Gilbert," she trailed off, eyes getting hot. "I'm sorry I didn't call or come back, something terrible happened,"

"What happened?" Gilbert immediately demanded.

Melodia continued to pour her pent up feelings out to him and he didn't say a word, only making noises of understanding periodically. By then, Melodia was already halfway back to the school and she sighed heavily to signify the end of her rant.

"I'm so sorry, Melodia," Gilbert's voice was quiet, but it soon cheered up, "You're coming home- I mean, back to the school, right?"

"Yes, I'm about halfway home now," she sniffed and turned a corner.

"Good," Gilbert paused, "I'm going to give you the biggest damn hug when you get back,"

Melodia laughed and smiled broadly.

"I'm looking forward to it,"

"Damn right," Gilbert laughed lightly on the other end and there was a content silence, filled only with the crackling static of the phone service.

"Well, Melodia, I'll let you go," Gilbert trailed off, "Wouldn't want you getting hurt while talking to me,"

Melodia smiled again.

"Thank you, Gilbert, thank you for listening to me, too," She sniffed again and said goodbye, then hung up by pressing the notorious button on her steering wheel.

As soon as Melodia walked in the door, she was taken in by Gilbert's lean arms. No words were exchanged but Melodia knew he cared deeply for her.

"I went to your classes and got the paper notes for you, but you're on your own for online notes," Gilbert said to her, letting go and shuffling backwards.

"Thank you again, Gilbert,"

He nodded and slid behind Melodia, taking her suitcase and rolling it down into her room. Melodia's heart swelled and an uncontrollable smile broke out on her face. She followed Gilbert down the hall, shooing him out of her room and closing the door behind her.


End file.
